Before I find myself drowning with work and to dos like looking for Outer Banks vacation homes availabilities, let me just share with you photos of my little girl during Dom’s 1st birthday bash last November 8 at Makati Sports Club. Let me just say – I LOVE her dress and so does everyone who was present at the party. ;P

She looks so dalaga don’t you agree?

I always find myself saying – where did all the years go? She used to be this small little girl who can’t even manage to join party games but look at her now. She’d die for a prize, literally. LOL.

Party was fab and we all enjoyed it. Thanks for inviting us Mommy Peachy!

Last October 31, together with friends and their kids, we went trick or treating at Sofitel Hotel. We first had a sumptuous buffet lunch at Spiral and were we full, of course!

Here’s Jon and I while enjoying our lunch.

With some friends.

And the kids!

Snow White meets Dracula.

Snow White, Dracula and a Flamenco Dancer

The hotel had plenty of advertisers and we took home lots of loots from chocolates to biscuits to gift certificates to packs of juices and even disposable shoe covers would you believe? Kids had fun and enjoyed trick or treating and the magic show too. Will definitely be back next year.

My kids with their angkong and ama – Jon’s parents, my in-laws and my kids’ spoilers. Meant that in a good way. They are my kids’ number one fans together with the doting Auntie based in Virginia now. Add their Ninang Ivy to the list too! LOL.

Photos were taken during one of our trips to Highlands. Weather was perfect and we were about to go fishing. We had the fishes to ourselves as we were there really early. We took home a lot to Sophia’s delight of course. Fishing has been her favorite pastime lately (aside from horseback riding) when we are in Highlands. We spent a good two hours I think just lazing around the fishing area. The breeze was a little cold and Jon even fell asleep on one of the benches.  I spent time surfing the net though and was even able to look up some Medicare supplement being offered by a friend through my cellphone as there was complimentary wifi.

Typhoon Ondoy has been wrecking havoc since last night and so many people need help right now. Lets pray for each and everyone to be safe and hopefully the rain will stop soon.

From where I am, the rain is not as hard any more and the husband being away (he’s in Singapore), this is all I am asking for. As much as I don’t want to panic, I can’t help it as listening from the reports over the radio, the scenario is really getting worst by the minute. So let us be one in praying for everybody’s safety. Please.

I am diverting my attention at online shopping for the kids and searching the net for the best diet pills so I won’t panic. Seriously. I need to relax or else I might lose it and cry.

If there is ever a place we love visiting over and over again, I’d have to say its Hong Kong. Why? Well, aside from being a shopping haven, its also very convenient to go to because it only takes about an hour and a half or so via plane to reach. So we love going there all the time! I also love love the busy streets while my kids (well, my eldest actually) adore Disneyland, what else. So for the nth time for me and Jon, 5th time for Sophia and 1st time for Mateo, we trooped to the cosmopolitan centre where the East meets the West last August 28.

While it was freaking hot as its summer there, we still had a blast. My eldest won’t stop talking about her last Disneyland Adventure while my boy, at nine months, of course, doesn’t have a single clue where he was and what he was up to. I’m sure though that the mere fact he was with daddy, mommy and achie, it was more than enough for him to be happy.

Honestly, I was hesitant to go on with the trip as it’ll be my first time to travel with two kids if ever. I was thinking of postponing it until Mateo is atleast one. But we went ahead since my in laws were HK bound too. We boarded on different flights though. So what can I say about the trip? It wasn’t as hard as i thought! Not at all. In short, sisiw. My eldest is turning out to be a very good traveler at 4 yo while my little boy was such an angel. Now we are all geared up for a long haul flight!

I’ve posted all the pics at my flickr account while selected shots are also at facebook. All in all, the trip was stress free (to my surprise) and it was truly a great bonding experience again for our little family as with every trip we took over the last four years. Here are some of the photos but before that let me share how we evolved through the years with our every visit to Disneyland.

Past photos …

Our latest photos at the very same spots …

***I was just pregnant with Mateo in the 2008 picture and look how big a boy he is now with the latest photo. Ang bilis talaga ng panahon!!!

Anyway, on to more photos …

Breakfast with the Disney Characters

Sophia with her faves …

The kids at the hotel lobby …

It was indeed a happy trip. Never mind that Mateo’s two bottom teeth chose to come out while we were there so he didn’t like drinking milk (but would eat a lot of solids thank gawd), Sophia came home darker than ever because of too much time under the sun and we didn’t get to shop much (but we did check out some bluray laptops), it was still worth it.

To date, no specific plans still. Boo.

Seriously, after much thought and being the scaredy cat that I am, I am putting off travel plans for now. Jon is leaving with his dad though for HK next month to attend to some bank stuff. We’ll be left behind as per my decision. My mother in law agreed with me though and said “better be safe than sorry.” Nasa huli nga naman ang pagsisisi diba? There would always be next time.

We do have other definite plans though like HK for December and US trip come March. I just hope the virus clears up by that time! December trip will be with my family and it’ll be our first time to be in HK Christmas time. I am so excited! I would love the cold weather for sure and my kids will love Disneyland in Christmas time too I bet. Oh, I can’t wait.

I am extremely excited about our US trip too, of course! The husband already confirmed that we are finally going to US by the time Sophia’s school is over so I am one happy gal. Two weeks is all the husband can spare away from work though but I am not complaining. That is more than enough for me. We plan to just meet my sister in law in LA anyway and not go all the way to her flat in Virginia to save time. After all, the places we want to go to are all in LA. My father in law suggested that we make the most out of the trip though and go around west coast. We’ll see about that.

With the husband’s confirmation of the US trip, as early as now, I am already looking for hotels or vacation houses where we can stay at when we go to LA. Knowing my husband, he won’t settle for anything less than three stars or should i say four? Nothing like those of Outer Banks rentals I saw online but hopefully close enough. He’s very picky when it comes to places to stay at you see so I need to do my share of research. I have to find a place that meets his standards which also won’t break his pocket or else no shopping moohlah for me and the kids! LOL. We’ll be staying in a hotel for the whole two weeks we’ll be there kasi so I need to look for something affordable. Any suggestions?

So far, these two travel confirmations from the husband are more than enough for me to be excited about right now.  After all, I’m also excited and will be pretty occupied with the preparation for Mateo’s 1st birthday party this November too.

See, I’ve got a lot on my plate now. Puro gastos, haha!!!

News this morning confirmed that a 10 year old girl is being treated for AH1N1 virus in a hospital in Manila. Scary as it may sound, DOH said that there is no cause for panic. Rather, everybody should be extra careful and cautious (shouldn’t we be all the time?). Hand sanitizers and alcohol should come in handy now.

The AH1N1 scare have caused so much for people (like us) who usually take advantage of the summer vacation to have a short getaway with the whole family. To date, I know four families (excluding ours) who have canceled their trips abroad because of the virus. Well, we all believe that its better to be safe than sorry alright. As for my in laws who are now in the US, they left before AH1N1 (still called Swine Flu then) has made its presence felt. They flew to US to attend my sister in law’s graduation when the virus has said to hit California and New York (and now other cities and states too). They were supposed to have a side trip to New York for some New York Sightseeing being offered by CitySights NY, a recognized leader in New York City sightseeing that has hop-on, hop-off bus tours operated on a fleet of 60 new double-decker buses designed with top-deck-only seating to provide tourists with the best possible views of New York City’s attractions, neighborhoods and places of interest but they canceled last minute. They opted to stay in Florida and now in Washington where my sister in law moved for work. They didn’t want to risk their health too, of course.

They’ll be coming home next month and hopefully by that time AH1N1 would be out of the scene already so we could take our HK trip with them.  Sophia’s itching to go to Disneyland (again) while I am itching to SHOP and pig out!